RTO to teach auto, taxi drivers to be more polite

The Andheri regional transport office (RTO) will initiate a campaign to change the attitude of autorickshaw and taxi drivers in the city. The campaign, titled ‘I am changing, Mumbai is changing’, will kick off on Tuesday.

“In the first phase, auto and taxi drivers will be counselled to interact politely with commuters. Drivers will be given campaign stickers to put on their autos and taxis and a travel guide to keep in their vehicle. In the next phase, we want to sensitise pedestrians, two and four-wheelers also,” said Bharat Kalaskar, deputy regional transport officer, Borivli.

However, the distribution of travel guides —which will comprise a simplified Mumbai map, information about prominent places, emergency and helpline numbers— will take some time. “The map provided will be simple enough for the common man to understand Mumbai’s topography at a glance. It will have prominent city locations mentioned, which will be self-explanatory even to those who are new to the city,” said an official from the Andheri RTO, requesting anonymity.

In the first phase, the RTO plans to conduct 125 counselling sessions at auto and taxi stands between Bandra and Dahisar. “The campaign is being held to address various problems such as road traffic congestion and wrong parking and also to instill road discipline among citizens,” added Kalaskar.

Over 400-500 drivers are expected to participate in the inaugural session at Keshav Gore Hall, Goregoan (West). “This session will give us an opportunity to interact

with those officials whom we rarely get to meet,” said Thampi Kurien, general secretary, Mumbai Rickshawmen’s Union.